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That’s a whole lot of forgiving on a daily basis. 70×7. Just think about how many times we sin against the Lord and He forgives us. How dare we not forgive others who wrong us. Forgive and be forgiven. We all have faults and shortcomings, our faith walk levels vary one from another. I know it’s a hard thing to do.. believe me. But we must do it.

“Hmm. 70 x 7…. really Lord?!! Geez. I dunno about all that. I mean that’s a LOT of forgiving _______. I don’t know if I can do it.”

Now look at what Jesus had to say in this conversation:

Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21‭-‬22 NKJV

Dear friend, I know that forgiving someone for a repeated offense can really take a toll on you. I really do. But I say that it is better to forgive and release than to walk around in an emotional imprisonment when that person who offended you has already moved on. Let it go. You will not forget what happened or what was said but you can be freed from holding on to something that is contaminating your spirit.

You can be set free from emotional bondage. The enemy always has a plan to keep you offended. It’s a choice to either allow the Lord to help you let go or to continually be a puppet of the adversary who is on the battlefield of your mind. Thoughts will come in but you can take those thoughts and cast them down. (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Don’t worry about what others will think if you keep forgiving someone or even allow your own thoughts to trump the Word of Truth. In Christ we will not fail.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6‭-‬7 NKJV
Be encouraged and stay prayed up. God bless you always,

Terra

*I thank my Pastor (Al Brice ) for speaking such a great word of truth and encouragement to me and those who were soaking up the Word given to him by the Lord about forgiveness.

Like this:

Where mercy found me! Thank you Jesus for finding me and changing my life!

A couple of hours ago, I was sharing some encouraging scriptures and quotes on my Tumblr and Pinterest accounts while I was waiting for my son to get ready for football practice. We headed off and as I was driving, I was just soaking up God’s presence and had this pouring of love all around me. I smiled and just thanked Him again for waking me up this morning.

Let me back this story up just a little bit….

I woke up earlier to see my husband off to the gym and work but when I woke up, I woke up HAPPY! I thought to myself “I am actually still alive today! The Lord saw fit for me to be here another day. My goodnes it’s nothing but his mercy and grace that has me here! Thank – you – Jesus!”

Anyway, as I was dressing for the day, I checked my email. I had a “nasty-gram” question in regards to a picture quote I shared about God (posted below). I decided to answer him even though he told me that he did not believe in God and that he was still a very loving person, but that I could take my God loving quote and shove it up where the sun does not shine. (I tweaked his choice of words).

Ummm…… yeah. Now where in the world did that come from?!!

Photo source: imforeverfaithful.tumblr.com

I said a prayer for him and then I had a few things I took to the Lord about responding to people in love as well as sharing the Gospel. There are many people who believe in God but do not have a relationship with him. There are many who do not believe in His exsistence at all. I cannot force my beliefs on anyone. I can only share my experience and lead them to the truth. God found me. I did not find him. I accepted him after realizing how much of a mess my life was without him.

We all have had different walks in life and how we came to know the Lord is a testimony in itself. God loved me first and forgave my sins. This is how I can love others despite cruel ways and nasty words and forgive them just the same.

Then it hit me…. this guy is searching for Truth. He isn’t mad at me. He does not even know me. I did not say anything to bash unbelievers. I merely posted something I found to be true. Maybe he has had some bad run-in’s with people who tried to force Jesus on him for all I know. Either way, he is lost in darkness and I pray that somehow and some way the Lord will provide an avenue for his love to consume the heart of this lost soul and that of others that they too will believe in the God who created the heavens and earth and reigns on his throne forevermore just as well as to repent, receive and develop a relationship with Christ Jesus.

I can’t say that the whole thing did not bother me though I really wondered what goes through the minds of those who reject and refuse to believe that God is real. My heart truly feels for them because they could be hellbound if their thought process does not begin to change. Sheesh.

So needless to say, I prayed as I drove back home. An awesome song came on the radio and just soothed my soul like a balm. How I wished I could have raised both of my hands in worhsip as I was driving! Instead, I worshipped in lip service and with a humble heart as the words sank in deep. I cannot get this song out of my head now so I thought I would share it with you all.

Be blessed one and all and take a moment to thank the Lord for a new day. You are still here for a purpose. Make the best of it and always seek his wisdom and guidance in all you think, say and do.

What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion. So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth. (Romans 9:14-17 NKJV)

Lord, I come humbly before you asking you to take away any fleshly desire that is in me. Remove things out of my life that are hinderances. I wanna do right, I wanna talk right, I want to let the light shine that you put in me. There is nothing in this world greater than you. Temporary joy is not eternal joy. I need you Jesus. I can’t live like this anymore. I fall to my knees with a broken heart… fighting tears. Lord I know you have been calling my name. I know I need to come back to You. It’s where I belong. No love outside of You is unconditonal. I am a sinner, I have backslidden. I have tried so hard to keep You away so that I can enjoy the pleasures of this world. I now see that they do not make me happy.

I feel that burn stirring within me when I know I am doing wrong. Whether it’s a worship song I hear in passing, the Sunday church bell ringing, seeing someone praying aloud ….I feel the tug. When this world weighs me down with issues beyond my control… I feel the tug. The Holy Spirit is nudging me on in such a sweet and kind way. I can’t do this life. I just can’t do anything without You. I NEED YOU LORD.

SPEAK TO ME.

Dear Loved One,

I encourage you today to give your life to Christ. Allow him to help you. There is nothing this world can do that will fix your problems for good. It’s only temporary. Nothing is too big that Our God in heaven can’t fix. No sin will keep him from loving you. If you know Christ and walked away, COME BACK, if you don’t know Him at all, COME TO and let Him receive you with open arms. He’s waiting. Just come on HOME. To God be the glory! I lift you up today with a heart wanting you to start a new day in Him. It’s not too late. Let go of the worries, leave behind the people who mean you no good. Don’t look back at what you are leaving because there is no treasure found in it. Keep your heart and mind focused on Christ and move forward. This is my heart’s desire. My heart is heavy and calling out to the Lord on your behalf. We don’t know the day or hour that He’s coming back. May we just be ready when He does. If I never meet you in this life, I pray to see you in glory because I am heaven bound. Hallelujah!! Thank you Jesus!!!

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29, 30 NKJV)

My Lord, even through the darkest days I know that as long as I hold on to you, stand on Your word when there is nothing left to cling to, I shall rise above everything that comes up against me in attack. My strength is found within you. For when I am weak, You are at work building me up.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31 NKJV)

Take courage to stand. Stand for what’s right even if you have to travel the road alone. It may not be easy at all, but at the end, your obedience to God over the negative opinions, comments, dislikes, outcasting and various sufferings of persecution that comes along with following Christ will benefit you at the end. Perhaps you may see the reaping of some benefits sooner than later. The point is to not give in; to not cower and reason with man.

Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning. Yes your heart may be wounded and inflicted with hurt from those you least expect but don’t let anything come as a surprise. The enemy is always at work looking for ways to distract you and tear you down.

You are a threat. Yes you sure are. You read it correctly. To whom you might ask? To Satan. Think about it. God is doing great works within you whether you see it or not. He’s building you up and preparing you for something ahead. Whatever it may be, it’s for the glory, honor and praise of the King.

If you think about it, just how much more/less is the enemy messing with those lost in darkness when he can bother those ( children of God ) who are messing up his plans? You are putting a dent in his work agenda.

Let no more sleepless nights and distracted days consume your mind. Take all things that are bothering you to Jesus. He knows the hurt. You will never overfill his to-do list. He will not be overloaded at all or get in a frenzy. If you have to go into your prayer closet every day, write him a letter, talk to him out loud just do it. And as you pray for healing, guidance and direction pray for those who inflicted pain directly or indirectly upon you. Let the Lord take vengeance into his hands. Not yours. You’ll be blessed to bless the life of others. Speaking out of anger or putting curses upon their head isn’t right. Being Christlike doesn’t strike back an eye for an eye.

Remember that the enemy can do no more to you than God will allow him. If anything, thank him for bothering you! If you stand and not be shaken by earthly ways of thinking and doing of man you will come out on top strengthened and refreshed, encouraged and ready to keep going forward in the plans God set out for you.

Bless your mind, body and spirit as you step out and STAND. If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. Jesus is our Rock, our great Cornerstone. Pick up the Bible. Pray, read and apply it to your life. Believe that all will be taken care of. If no one has your back God does.

“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.”Lamentations 3:22-25 NKJV

Dear friends, I encourage you to wait on the Lord. Stepping back and standing aside spending extra time with God being still and listening to his infinite wisdom is worth far more than you will ever know. Acting and speaking in the flesh will get the best of you if you let it. Love covers a multitude. Let go of the things you cannot change, pick and choose your battles but ultimately let God be your guide.

“O praise Your holy name for you are worthy of it all. No one knows the cost of our Alabaster Box, the oil within that holds the deepest feelings and praises that are poured out upon your feet. Tears shed, heart-cries and pains that ache so much have been wrapped in your precious love. This world doesn’t know unconditional love; only judgement and criticism. You see past that and save. Forgiving and encouraging us to live in You and for you. Sin is remembered no more by God. Thank you Jesus. You are forever worthy of great praises.”

With the love and forgiveness of the Savior my friends, do not let this world’s view or opinion of your past/present sins dictate who you are in Christ. If He has forgiven you, then LIVE in freedom and not bondage. Praise the Lord through your tears, your shame and pain. Go before his feet and let it all out. God is for you. What love you will find when He wraps his arms around you! Hold on and hang in there. You are victorious in Christ Jesus. Walk with your head held high and press on. No one, I mean NO ONE can place you in heaven or hell but God himself. Pick and choose what you will allow to reside in your thoughts and life. I pray it’s Jesus all the way! Think on the goodness of the Lord. He’s brought you a mighty long way. Pour your praises on Him. He’s WORTHY!!

My prayers and support are with you. I am a friend who will stand by your side and help you carry the weight. For who am I to judge? I’m not God. My job is to love you and be of assistance the best I know how in Christ. Praise the Lord and live! Life is too short. Let go and let God.

In Christ be blessed, strengthened and encouraged.

Scripture References: Luke 7:36-50 tells the story of the woman with the alabaster box. It was her faith that saved her. She did it and so can you! Be of good courage.

The room grew still
As she made her way to Jesus
She stumbled through the tears that made her blind
She felt such pain
Some spoke in anger
Heard folks whisper
There’s no place here for her kind
Still on she came
Through the shame that flushed her face
Until at last, she knelt before his feet
And though she spoke no words
Every tear she she shed was heard
As she poured her love for the Master
From her box of Alabaster

Chorus:
And I’ve come to pour
My praise on Him-like oil
From Mary’s alabasterbox
Don’t be angry if I wash His feet with my tears
And dry them with my hair
You weren’t there-the night He found me
You did not feel what I felt
When He wrapped His loving arms around me
And you don’t know the cost
Of the oil in my alabaster box

I can’t forget
The way life used to be
I was a prisoner
To the sins that had me bound
I spent my days
Poured my life-without measure
Into a little treasure box
I thought I had found
Until the day-when Jesus came to me
And healed my soul
With the wonders of-His love
So now I’m giving back to Him
All the praise He’s worthy of
I’ve been forgiven
And that’s why
I love Him so much

As I was in the bed unwinding for the night, two men came across my mind. One I forgave immediately and the other……. well let’s just say that I did forgive him years ago but I swept it under the rug. I didn’t want to relive emotional pain over some words and lack of understanding and compassion I felt so many years back.

Over 25 yrs ago I was struck by a car driven by an 18 yr old driving 75 mph in a 25 mph school zone. I was at the cross walk in front of my middle school. From what I can remember and what I was told, I was knocked about 30 feet. The only thing I suffered was a broken femur. ( thigh bone ) I know it was no one but God who saved me.

I endured 2 years of being on crutches and rehabilitation to learn how to walk again between 2 surgeries. One to fix my thigh and the other to remove the plate and screws attached inside. Wow… these were the years I was just beginning as a teenager and I had a complex about my long and ugly scar.

The day of the accident, all I could think about was the good citizen who came from across the street to cover me with a blanket until the paramedics arrived and thanking God that I was alive. Nothing else mattered then. I take that back! I was wearing a brand new pair of Lee jeans and I was upset that they had to be cut open to see if any broken bones were openly present. ( excuse my way of thinking as a new teen just beginning to like fashion back in the 80’s in hope that my pants could be spared. Lol ) Between blacking out and coming to, the lingering screams I heard from friends are still with me to this day.

I never knew what happened to the guy who hit me, other than my parents taking legal action against him. Believe it or not, I had no ill feelings towards him. I wasn’t even mad at him for all the pain I endured mentally and physically. I forgave him. I was ok. It was my school principal that I had bad feelings against, all because he made an issue about the school flag coming down because of my accident.

“Are you serious?!!” I couldn’t believe that a flag had precedence over my life. Well that is how it made me feel. It hurt me bad. Oh believe me, it became a big issue enough that resulted in my mom going up to the school to address the principal.

Well to speed this up, I moved on with my life, became a Christian, asked God to forgive me of my sins and along my walk for me to forgive others I harbored unforgiveness towards. Well at least I thought I’d forgiven them all. TRULY forgiven them. Obviously I didn’t.

Needless to say, the other night I truly forgave the man who I harbored anger and unforgiveness towards. I also prayed for him hoping that his life has turned out well in general. I hope and pray he believes in God and has excepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. I also hope and pray the same for the guy who hit me. I can only hope he doesn’t have any bad feelings towards me for any repercussions he had to face for his negligence. I hope he knows that he is forgiven. My prayers for their salvation has nothing to do with me but the fact that we all have not accepted Christ into our heart. The way we live our lives until we die plays a part as to how we live this life and treat others.

We all make mistakes. We learn and forgive as well as ask for forgiveness. I thank the Lord for placing them on my heart as I chose to act in obedience to forgive immediately. No questions asked. It’s a wonderful feeling to let a wound completely heal. I had the right prescription to heal me though I didn’t realize I was still carrying the pain. Thank you Jesus!

I don’t know why I’ve taken another step in opening up my personal life but I rather be obedient than not. There has to be a reason behind this. All I can say is Thank You Lord for second chances. Thank You for awakening my heart to check under my rug that may harbor anything I have not completely given up. I want a clean temple for the Lord to reside in. My purpose is to be a light unto the world as a child of the Most High and share salvation with others. Sharing my experiences will hopefully let others see that Christians aren’t perfect, yet we strive daily to be Christlike. I’m not perfect but I’m made perfect in Him. It reminds me of why I love butterflies so much. So much is going on inside the cocoon to transform the caterpillar into a beautifull butterfly. Once the transformation takes place, it is then I can truly spread my wings and fly.

Dear friends, if you have any unforgivenness swept under a rug, pray and ask God to reveal it to you so that you will be released from anything that keeps you from being totally set free.

Bless you all on your journey to becoming a better person in the Lord.

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" For I know the plans I have for you ", declares the Lord, " plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."(Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIV )

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